aggregate

1 of 3

adjective

: formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount : collective: such as
a(1)
: clustered in a dense mass or head
an aggregate flower
(2)
: formed from several separate ovaries of a single flower
aggregate fruit
b
: composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments
c
: taking all units as a whole
aggregate sales
aggregately adverb
aggregateness noun

aggregate

2 of 3

verb

aggregated; aggregating

transitive verb

1
: to collect or gather into a mass or whole
The census data were aggregated by gender.
2
: to amount to (a whole sum or total) : total
audiences aggregating several million people

aggregate

3 of 3

noun

1
: a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another
Froth is an aggregate of tiny bubbles.
2
: the whole sum or amount : sum total
spent an aggregate of 10 million dollars in advertising during the past three years
3
a
: a rock composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments : an aggregate rock
b
: any of several hard inert materials (such as sand, gravel, or slag) used for mixing with a cementing material to form concrete, mortar, or plaster
c
: a clustered mass of individual soil particles varied in shape, ranging in size from a microscopic granule to a small crumb, and considered the basic structural unit of soil
4
5
Phrases
in the aggregate
: considered as a whole : collectively
Dividends for the year amounted in the aggregate to 25 million dollars.

Did you know?

We added aggregate to our flock of Latin borrowings in the 15th century. It descends from aggregāre ("to cause to flock together" or "to join together"), a Latin verb made up of the prefix ad- (which means "to," and which usually changes to ag- before a g) and greg- or grex (meaning "flock, herd, or group"). Greg- also gave us congregate, gregarious, and segregate. Aggregate is commonly employed in the phrase "in the aggregate," which means "considered as a whole." Aggregate also has some specialized senses. For example, it is used to describe a mass of minerals formed into a rock, and materials like sand or gravel that are used to form concrete, mortar, or plaster.

Examples of aggregate in a Sentence

Adjective There were to be thirty-seven playgrounds, twenty schools. There were to be a hundred and thirty-three miles of street, paved with an inch and a half of No. 2 macadam on an aggregate base. Joan Didion, New Yorker, 26 July 1993
Their success at opening up new sources of supply, generating and servicing demand, and connecting new markets with the processing industries of the Amsterdam entrepôt seemed … to belie the axiom of an inelastic aggregate volume of world trade—a zero-sum competition. Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches, 1988
The mulberry looks a bit like a raspberry. But the raspberry (along with the other brambles, members of the genus Rubus, such as the blackberry) is an aggregate fruit generated by a single, if complex, flower. Raymond Sokolov, Natural History, October 1986
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
For the 2025 tax year, the IRS requires third-party networks, such as payment apps and online marketplaces, to issue Form 1099-K if the aggregate payments received by a payee exceed $2,500, regardless of the number of transactions. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 That first leg ended 1-0 — a slim aggregate lead — and in the second leg back on Kiwi soil, the Australians won 2-0 with one of their goals a cruel deflection. Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Verb
As such, the videos, often captured by bystanders and then aggregated by activist groups or local-news accounts, have become a primary record of what is going on; the federal government is not offering detailed information about where people are taken. Emily Witt, New Yorker, 22 June 2025 There is no chance that contract will survive past October; Castleton will either be aggregated for use in an offseason trade or cut before the season. John Hollinger, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Noun
That means getting a price for their client that is, in aggregate, better than the closing price of the day. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 June 2025 In aggregate, South Korea ranks eighth among G-7 members in terms of overall performance, ahead of Italy, and Australia ranks fifth, ahead of France, Japan, and Italy. Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for aggregate

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English aggregat, borrowed from Latin aggregātus, past participle of aggregāre "to cause to flock together, join, include, lump together," from ad- ad- + -gregāre, verbal derivative of greg-, grex "flock, herd, group" — more at gregarious

Verb

Middle English aggregaten, borrowed from Latin aggregātus, past participle of aggregāre "to cause to flock together, join" — more at aggregate entry 1

Noun

Middle English aggregat, borrowed from Medieval Latin aggregātus, noun derivative of Latin aggregātus, past participle of aggregāre "to cause to flock together, join" — more at aggregate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aggregate was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Aggregate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggregate. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

aggregate

1 of 3 adjective
1
: formed by the collection of units or particles into one mass or sum
aggregate expenses
2
: clustered in a dense mass or head
an aggregate flower

aggregate

2 of 3 verb
aggregated; aggregating
1
: to collect or gather into a mass or whole
2
: to amount to as a whole : total

aggregate

3 of 3 noun
1
: a collection or sum of units or parts
2
a
: a hard material (as sand or gravel) used especially in making concrete
b
: a clustered mass of individual soil particles considered the basic structural unit of soil
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English aggregat "made up of a collection," derived from Latin aggregare "to cause to join together," from ag-, ad- "to, toward" and greg-, grex "flock, herd" — related to congregate, segregate

Medical Definition

aggregate

1 of 3 adjective
: formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount
aggregation noun
It is now known that these calcifications represent focal aggregations of calcium hydroxyapatite … Medical Radiography & Photography

aggregate

2 of 3 transitive verb
aggregated; aggregating
: to collect or gather into a mass or whole
aggregated human albumin

aggregate

3 of 3 noun
: a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another

Legal Definition

aggregate

1 of 3 adjective
: taken as a total
aggregate liability

aggregate

2 of 3 verb
aggregated; aggregating

transitive verb

1
: to combine or gather into a whole
class members may aggregate their individual claims
compare join
2
: to amount to
an award aggregating $100,000

intransitive verb

: to form an aggregate
they may not aggregate if their claims are regarded as “separate and distinct” J. M. Landers et al.

aggregate

3 of 3 noun
1
: total amount
may sue in federal court if the aggregate of the claims exceeds $75,000
2
: a whole made up of individual units
the aggregate of operative facts

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